Different but the Same
by cixth
Summary: Things have changed from since they're kids, but Rin thinks Makoto is still a huge pushover. Strangely, he doesn't mind. His Dark Materials!AU. For the Makoto Birthday Fanworks Exchange over on Tumblr.


**Notes: **As this is an AU, I took some liberties with changing chronological events (namely Rei meeting the group earlier/Nagisa never really falling out of contact) but I hope they do not deter you from liking the fic.

Furthermore, there are timeline changes (past/Rin reminiscing along with the present but they should be fairly obvious—just in case though, they are indicated by line breaks).

Original Prompt: Phillip Pullman daemon-AU with a peek into Rin and Mako's childhood relationship, so feel free to draw from High Speed!. If you'd like to extend this prompt to when both are older and have settled daemons, feel free. If the two develop a strong emotional intimacy, I would love to see them touching one anothe

_For Pip_.

* * *

Rin remembers Makoto when they were little. Back then, Makoto's dæmon was ever changing; one day, it would be a mouse—befitting Makoto's timid nature, the next day, it would've changed into a mute swan (that had been one of Makoto's favourite, Rin recalls)—it had stayed for a few days, seemingly the perfect form for Makoto—dedicated and peaceful but with an inner steel.

But then Rin had moved away, he'd fought his family for weeks on end about it, but they were adamant about the move. So with a tearful goodbye to Makoto (and his then whale dæmon), Haru (with an oddly friendly dolphin), and Nagisa (appropriately enough with a penguin), Rin (and his shark) had left for Australia for three years. At first, they'd kept in touch—phone calls here and there and emails almost weekly—but then they'd slowly lost contact, and Rin was alone in Australia with only Gou whom kept in contact out of familial duties.

.

.

.

Nowadays, ten years after the four of them first split up and five years since they've reunited, Rin thinks he is the happiest he has ever been.

He lies on his side looking at the bare skin of Makoto's back gently falling and rising and he is taken back to a time when he'd been full of a burning, all-consuming anger and would never have been able to dream of being filled with peace.

.

.

.

He'd come back after five years in Australia not sure of what to expect from seeing his old friends. He hadn't been prepared to find himself _replaced_ with an idiot of a fool (with a matching butterfly dæmon). Not even Haruka whom he'd always been able to provoke into competitiveness had seemed to care much. Nagisa was so taken with The Fool that he'd only spared a cursory 'Welcome back, RinRin!' But worst of all, was Makoto—Makoto with his stupid smile and caring air had had the audacity to blast Rin full one with the accursed Smile, Head Tilt of Gentleness combo.

At first, he'd thought that it would be easy enough to assimilate into the group—he had the advantage of knowing them since they were young; unlike The Fool. But nevertheless, five years away was a long time—especially for youths—and in the time he'd been away, different inside jokes had been created and he felt himself left out. He found himself taking the role of the metaphorical third (or in this case, fifth) wheel of the group.

(Their dæmons had changed over the years too, it seemed. Whilst they were at the age (or in Nagisa and The Fool's case, nearing) for their dæmons to have settled—Haru's fittingly a Japanese Crane and Rin himself with a grey fox—Makoto's dæmon was still fluctuating between different forms as though unsure of what animal could do the boy justice).

Rin split off from them after he came back. He found himself a new crowd of people to hang out with, the so-called 'elite' students of Samezuka. They weren't bad people in general—Mikoshiba could be overbearing (read: too flirtatious with Gou) and Nitori (interestingly enough with a smooth-coated otter) was annoying at times, but they accepted Rin for who he was and welcomed him into their clique with open arms (literally in the case of the latter).

.

.

.

Makoto's slumbering body stirs in front of him, and Rin watches as he sleepily turns over and blinks the last dredges of sleep from his eyes. His lover blinks groggily at him before his lips stretch into a fond smile and leaning over for a quick kiss.

Scowling a bit at the morning breath, Rin draws back quickly and mockingly snaps at Makoto to brush his teeth and shower. Grinning a little at Rin, Makoto acquiesces to his demands and gets out of their shared bed for a quick shower.

Stretching out a little, Rin blows a puff of air out his lips as he remembers how Makoto's bullheadedness had pulled Rin out of the darkness that seemed to have engulfed his heart when it came to his former Iwatobi friends. Makoto had teamed up with Gou in an effort to get the old Rin back and despite how unwilling Rin was, his little sister and former friend had never given up.

.

.

.

The tension between the Samezuka and Iwatobi students had come to a boiling point at an amusement park in which Rin and Haru—who'd seemingly reached the end of his temper—got into a harsh verbal fight that only ended when Makoto and Mikoshiba had stepped in.

Needless to say, it had all gone _up_hill and Rin had been brought to his senses after a harsh talking to from Mikoshiba (and 'Matsuoka-senpai you should really listen to Captain Mikoshibas' from Nitori) and reconciled with his childhood friends.

Brought back from his thoughts by a freshly showered and towelled off Makoto, Rin glanced over at his dæmon, its tail curled around itself in a grey mound with a diamond dove perched peacefully atop it.

Walking over, Rin gently reached out a hand to stroke the head of the peacefully sleeping dove gently nudging it awake. Its eyes fluttered open, and twittered at Rin before flying over to land on Makoto's hair messing up the curls. Taking a less gentle approach with his own dæmon, Rin poked at the fox until it sleepily blinked at him and nipped at his fingers. It unfurled itself from a grey mound and trotted over to Makoto before twining itself around his legs while he finished dressing.

Walking over to his lover, Rin wrapped his arms around the taller man's waist and smiled into his neck before greeting him with an 'I really am grateful for you bringing me back, you know.'

When he was only met with the Understanding Smile and Eye Crinkles of Gentleness, Rin decided that he really didn't mind how much of a pushover Makoto was since Makoto was _his_, and his alone.

_Fin._


End file.
